Robert
Sarmast said a Mediterranean basin was flooded in a deluge around 9000
BCE which submerged a rectangular land mass he believes was Atlantis,
lying 1.5km beneath sea level between Cyprus and Syria.
"We
have definitely found it," said Sarmast, who led a team of explorers
80km off the south-east coast of Cyprus earlier this month, on
Sunday.
Tantalising clues
Deep
water sonar scanning had indicated man-made structures on a submerged
hill, including a 3km-long wall, a walled hill summit and deep
trenches, he said. But further explorations were needed, he said.
"We
cannot yet provide tangible proof in the form of bricks and mortar as
the artefacts are still buried under several metres of sediment, but
the circumstantial and other evidence is irrefutable," he said.
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"We cannot yet
provide tangible proof in the form of bricks and mortar as the
artefacts are still buried under several metres of sediment, but the
circumstantial and other evidence is irrefutable"
Robert Sarmast |
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At a news conference in the port city of Limassol, Sarmast provided only animated simulations of the hill.
Whether and where Atlantis existed has captured imaginations for centuries.
According
to ancient Greek philosopher Plato, Atlantis was an island nation where
an advanced civilisation developed some 11,500 years ago.
Mysterious disappearance
Theories
abound as to why it disappeared, from Atlantis being hit by a
cataclysmic natural disaster to the Greek myth that says the
civilisation was so corrupt, greedy and power-hungry it was
destroyed by God.
Sceptics believe Atlantis was a figment of Plato's imagination.
Sarmast
says he was led to Cyprus by clues in Plato's dialogues. Plato's
reference to Atlantis lying opposite the Pillars of Hercules - believed
to be the Straits of Gibraltar - have often led explorers to focus on
either the Atlantic Ocean, Ireland or the Azores off Portugal.
"People who dismiss this have not really done their homework; sceptics don't really understand," said Sarmast.
"To understand the enigma of Atlantis, you have to
have good knowledge of ancient history, Biblical references, the
Sumerian culture and their tablets."